As toothbrush design has evolved in an effort to improve cleaning of teeth and gums, the complexity of toothbrushes and their functions have increased. Powered toothbrushes are one example of efforts to improve tooth cleaning by including one or more movable sets of cleaning elements. Another approach to improving cleansing of teeth is use of a toothbrush head that is articulated or segmented to better follow the rounded curvature of teeth aligned in the human jaw.
However, little has been done to synergistically combine these approaches in a manner that achieves effective cleaning of all teeth while carefully avoiding harm to the gum line. That is an object of this invention.
One approach to a segmented or articulated toothbrush head is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,606B1 issued Nov. 13, 2001 to Douglas Hohlbein. This patent disclosed a two part toothbrush head joined by a living hinge or other integrally molded elastomeric-type connector. Under one embodiment of this patent, the part of the toothbrush head most remote from the handle is normally angled with respect to the head section nearest the handle. According to the patent, the flexible angulation of the head accommodates to the curvature of the human jaw, as well as the relatively straight portions of the jaw. In addition, the flexibility of at least a portion of the head provides a more gentle treatment of the gum line because the force applied by the user is moderated and more evenly distributed through the hinge (column 1, lines 61–67).